The Curing of Anxiety

Be successful. Stand out. Make a difference. Change the world. Love everyone.

I don't know if you can relate, but these are a few of my life goals. Sometimes (okay, basically all of the time) I feel like I am too much of a dreamer and that I should lower my expectations of what I will be able to accomplish during my life on this earth. There are so many, wonderful directions that I could go in that it makes the future look quite daunting. So naturally, this causes the awful feeling that creeps up on you when you know that you have to make a decision but you feel like you have nothing to assist you in making the judgment:

ANXIETY.

Anxiety has a way of penetrating our minds in a way that obscures the vision of our daily lives. It takes a hold of our thoughts unbeknownst to us. However, even when we are aware of our anxiety, we still struggle to climb to the peak of peace that only trust in our Lord can offer us.

It is crucial that we place our anxiety behind us, because it interferes in such an intense way with our individual spiritual lives and our relationships with others. When we have difficulty placing our trust in Him, we can get caught between two extremes. We either grasp at temporary happiness that the world offers us or we try shut ourselves away from seeking happiness at all because of the fear of disappointment. No matter what extreme we gravitate towards when we find ourselves lost in anxiety, it always seems nearly impossible to let go of the negative feelings.

We have heard of people finding the peace that we desperately desire. We have tried to solve our problems on our own. We have possibly even sought the help of others. But how can we hope to take the first, concrete step to rid ourselves of anxiety?

We must recognize that all anxiety is not of the Lord. Jesus Himself affirms this fact in the gospel of Luke. Christ says: "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life" (12:22). Does this mean that we are not to take great care in discerning where God is calling us to be and what He is calling us to do? Of course not. We are called to be creatures who seek His will in all things: "Instead, seek his kingdom" (12:31). But, seeking His will can be exhausting. When we feel like we are not receiving answers to our prayers in a timely manner, we easily get discouraged.

Discouragement breeds anxiety. It is because of this that only trust, divine trust in His salvific plan, can cure our hopeless uneasiness.

This peace that we dream about and this trust that we desire cannot come to a culmination in one prayer, one day, or even one year. Like any fruitful relationship, time must be spent on our relationship with Jesus if we are to continue to grow in holiness. It takes time, commitment, and a deep desire. It is through the formation of good habits and virtues that we will grow in trust. As this happens, we shall watch as our vices, negative thoughts, anxiety, and fear will begin to wash away. Indeed, "our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee," O Lord (St. Augustine).

Our journey toward the heavens is a beautiful one. Let's embrace it and begin to strip away at our anxiety by focusing on placing our trust in Jesus.